Purdue's New Defensive Coordinator: Bob Diaco

[ZLaner]

https://www.jconline.com/story/spor...e-bob-diaco-defensive-coordinator/2776807001/

Just completed a year at Louisiana Tech as their DC. Was previously the head man at Connecticut with stops at Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, among others.

I, for one, really like this hire.

 

[PaBoiler78]

https://www.jconline.com/story/spor...e-bob-diaco-defensive-coordinator/2776807001/

Just completed a year at Louisiana Tech as their DC. Was previously the head man at Connecticut with stops at Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, among others.

I, for one, really like this hire.

don't care for it, was criticized alot at Neb and ND

 

[BoilerInChiTown]

Looks like a up and coming DC. It's a small sample size but if we ever play University of Miami every year, we would go undefeated

Spent something time at ND, Ok, Nebraska etc. Looks like a good hire to me.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fighti...o-helps-blank-miami-in-independence-bowl/amp/

 

[AAF Nation]

This hire is a head scratcher. The dude is really really weird and the players hated him. Disaster at UCONN and terrible at Nebraska, worst year on record.

Heres what im referencing. Except he did this weekly. Click this link

 

[Summy1]

Can we continue to wait and hope another candidate is named

 

[BoilerinLouisville]

He has something Brohm and staff liked; despite some tough records overall. Anyone familiar with the type of scheme he runs?

 

[nat100]

He has something Brohm and staff liked; despite some tough records overall. Anyone familiar with the type of scheme he runs?

3-4 Okie.

 

[BoilerGrad02]

Is he know as a recruiter?

3-4 is interesting but we seem to have more DT/DE talent right now then LB. DEs could always stand up but I don’t know if that’s their forte.

 

[GoldandBlackintheSaddleAgain]

"While at Nebraska, Diaco wanted to run the 3-4, but the Cornhuskers lacked the personnel to operate it effectively. Diaco played a lot of even looks mixed with some odd. And he dropped eight in coverage often, too. He is a proponent of analytics."

Uh oh...the infamous rush 3 and drop 8.
Hopefully it works out a helluva lot better than Holt's usage of that particular scheme.

 

[Wolegib]

maybe that's a reason we just had two defensive linemen/linebackers enter the transfer portal. the one who departed last week seemed to know what / who was coming and wanted no part of it.

 

[Wolegib]

on the plus side, we have a ton of DBs who would fit in nicely with a 3/4 scheme

 

[purduepat1969]

This hire is a head scratcher. The dude is really really weird and the players hated him. Disaster at UCONN and terrible at Nebraska, worst year on record.

Heres what im referencing. Except he did this weekly. Click this link

He was at Nebraska for one year under Riley, and was out of a job when Riley was fired at the end of the season. Can't judge anything based off of that.

He was really good at Notre Dame. And based on what I saw of LA Tech in the bowl game, they were pretty good. I know Miami isn't good offensively. But when you can hold that team scoreless as a group of 5 conf team, that's pretty impressive.

 

[ghostoffatjack]

Guess I’ll wait to offer an opinion...a lot of experience and a lot of red flags, biggest one being with athletes and football players at Nebraska he didn’t do well. Guess we will all see come December 2020. Still wondering what the fallout with Holt was all about since it must have begun well before the first game since he was banished to the press box that he did not want. Did it lead to the season opening defensive letdown in the 2nd half? On paper do we have the personnel to run a 3-4, I thought we were light on Lb’s?

 

[Bobtheboiler88]

I’ve spoken to a couple ND fans that I know about Diaco. They are saying it’s a great hire. They were upset when he left for UConn. Not that an ND fan’s opinion matters....lol

 

[jmohlman]

don't care for it, was criticized alot at Neb and ND

You might look at why he struggled at Neb
Good hire

 

[PaBoiler78]

Guess I’ll wait to offer an opinion...a lot of experience and a lot of red flags, biggest one being with athletes and football players at Nebraska he didn’t do well. Guess we will all see come December 2020. Still wondering what the fallout with Holt was all about since it must have begun well before the first game since he was banished to the press box that he did not want. Did it lead to the season opening defensive letdown in the 2nd half? On paper do we have the personnel to run a 3-4, I thought we were light on Lb’s?

I know Neal is back, and he is the prototypical nose for a 3 /4 but only one year left. Will have to beef somebody up or get one of those Samoan guys from out west.

 

[jmohlman]

I know Neal is back, and he is the prototypical nose for a 3 /4 but only one year left. Will have to beef somebody up or get one of those Samoan guys from out west.

Future is bright inside
We have several options after this year, depth

 

[PaBoiler78]

3-4 Okie.

bend don't break philosophy

 

[PaBoiler78]

You might look at why he struggled at Neb
Good hire

you may be right, the ND board says it's a good to great hire. One year isn't a good sample.

 

[PaBoiler78]

I’ve spoken to a couple ND fans that I know about Diaco. They are saying it’s a great hire. They were upset when he left for UConn. Not that an ND fan’s opinion matters....lol

our AD is one of their alums and he is doing a great job.

 

[boiler1987]

Guess I’ll wait to offer an opinion...a lot of experience and a lot of red flags, biggest one being with athletes and football players at Nebraska he didn’t do well. Guess we will all see come December 2020. Still wondering what the fallout with Holt was all about since it must have begun well before the first game since he was banished to the press box that he did not want. Did it lead to the season opening defensive letdown in the 2nd half? On paper do we have the personnel to run a 3-4, I thought we were light on Lb’s?

He was at Nebraska for one year with a coach who was about to get fired in Mike Riley lol.

 

[WeatherMike]

He won the Broyles award at Notre Dame; literally named the best assistant coach in the country. Obviously not head coach material based on UConn, but many of your top DCs are failed head coaches, so who cares? Top programs are hiring failed head coaches all the time and pay big money for them.

Obviously the one year at Nebraska wasn't good, but it's hard to judge off one year in a lousy situation, the end of a failed head coach's tenure. His track record as an assistant is excellent other than that year in Nebraska.

The only thing I don't like about this is the possible move to a 3-4...when we are going to have a lot more depth at the 3 (the DL) than the 4 (the LB). But one key thing is, the new JuCo linebacker was a commit to Louisiana Tech, who Diaco is now leaving. And really, there isn't a great deal of difference between 3-4 and 4-3 these days. It all depends on which flavor you run. Could actually work out in our favor, because many "3-4" schemes will put the kind of players we were calling "LEOs" on one or both outside edges and move your traditional 4-3 linebackers to the inside spots...meaning where you needed 3 regular linebackers before, you now really only need 2.

 

[cidsports]

What position will be play with Bobby Diaco and his preferred 3-4 set?

• DE 6'4" 265 LBS
  5
  GEORGE KARLAFTIS

Interesting news that former #45 MLB for Hayden Fry at Iowa is returning to the Big Ten West, after a couple seasons away?

Biographical details
Born February 19, 1973 (age 46)
Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Playing career
1992–1995 Iowa
Position(s) Linebacker

Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1997 Iowa (GA)
1999–2000 Western Illinois (RB/ST)
2001 Eastern Michigan (RB/ST)
2002 Eastern Michigan (LB/ST)
2003 Eastern Michigan (OLB/ST)
2004 Western Michigan (LB/ST)
2005 Central Michigan (co-DC/LB)
2006–2008 Virginia (LB/ST)
2009 Cincinnati (DC/ILB)
2010–2011 Notre Dame (DC/ILB)
2012–2013 Notre Dame (AHC/DC/LB)
2014–2016 Connecticut
2017 Nebraska (DC)
2018 Oklahoma (OLB)
2019 Louisiana Tech (DC)
Present - Purdue (DC) for Jeff Brohm

 

[WeatherMike]

Any time you have a player like Karlaftis, you can play him at multiple spots. I would say in Diaco's defense, he is an outside linebacker. He would play the side where the tight end is not lined up, that way, his responsibilities are pass rush first. The downside is, he does still occasionally (but fairly rarely) have to drop in coverage.

In some situations he could also be a five technique defensive end. Karlaftis is so strong with such a good frame that it's possible that since he can continue to add strength, Diaco might actually want him there primarily. But I would hesitate to do that because the necessities of the position make him less of an edge rusher and more of a contain rusher.

 

[KentuckyBoiler]

I have trust in Brohm. He sees something in him that will work with what he is trying to do at Purdue. Boiler Up!

 

[Purdue85]

maybe that's a reason we just had two defensive linemen/linebackers enter the transfer portal. the one who departed last week seemed to know what / who was coming and wanted no part of it.

Bigs, at times you're the personification of "over-thinking"...

 

[FirstDownB]

Strong resume. Big name. Good hire.
I think he will scheme to win with the personnel available and recruit to fit his preferred scheme.

 

[purduepat1969]

You might look at why he struggled at Neb
Good hire

From what I recall, Riley had zero control and discipline with regards to the players. Probably why they didn't like Diaco...

 

[purduepat1969]

Guess I’ll wait to offer an opinion...a lot of experience and a lot of red flags, biggest one being with athletes and football players at Nebraska he didn’t do well. Guess we will all see come December 2020. Still wondering what the fallout with Holt was all about since it must have begun well before the first game since he was banished to the press box that he did not want. Did it lead to the season opening defensive letdown in the 2nd half? On paper do we have the personnel to run a 3-4, I thought we were light on Lb’s?

The fallout with Holt is his defense continued to regress. In my humble opinion, this is a great hire. Everywhere Diaco went for an extended period of time, his defense was really good. Nebraska is a bad example, as Riley was getting fired and the players there weren't very good.

 

[BoilerUpThenHammerDown]

I don't know, I'm not sure if a 3-4 is a good fit. I'm also skeptical of having another "bend don't break" type of defensive coordinator. That was Holt's major flaw. We just don't have the talent to sit in a base defense all the time.
A creative defensive coordinator that brings exotic blitzes and strange pre-snap looks is exactly what Purdue needs.
Forget "bend but don't break" we need a fearless riverboat gambler who's not afraid to bring the blitz over and over again.

 

[Roeder]

I was hoping for Wade Phillips, but this will do.

 

[purduepat1969]

I don't know, I'm not sure if a 3-4 is a good fit. I'm also skeptical of having another "bend don't break" type of defensive coordinator. That was Holt's major flaw. We just don't have the talent to sit in a base defense all the time.
A creative defensive coordinator that brings exotic blitzes and strange pre-snap looks is exactly what Purdue needs.
Forget "bend but don't break" we need a fearless riverboat gambler who's not afraid to bring the blitz over and over again.

This team needs a respectable defense. It doesn't have to be top 20. The offense will score a lot of points. The defense just can't let average offenses score at will, which is exactly what's been happening.

 

[ZVZ]

It was Bob’s Defense that got ND into the Alabama Invitational back in 2012

 

[SIBoiler2]

Guess I’ll wait to offer an opinion...a lot of experience and a lot of red flags, biggest one being with athletes and football players at Nebraska he didn’t do well. Guess we will all see come December 2020. Still wondering what the fallout with Holt was all about since it must have begun well before the first game since he was banished to the press box that he did not want. Did it lead to the season opening defensive letdown in the 2nd half? On paper do we have the personnel to run a 3-4, I thought we were light on Lb’s?

I have to think Holt's masterpiece against Auburn had to have stuck with Brohm all off season. When the D continued to be of the matador design this season the writing was on the wall. With the offense we are building even a mediocre defense would be an upgrade.

 

[Chi-Boiler]

Defenses are called "bend but don't break" when they suck. It's not a strategy.

As for a 3-4 vs a 4-3, I really don't think it's that big a deal or difference. The LEO is a hybrid between a DE and a rush OLB anyway. Barnes will still rush the passer but maybe he'll be lined up in different areas and will drop back in coverage more.

 

[cidsports]

Strong resume. Big name. Good hire.
I think he will scheme to win with the personnel available and recruit to fit his preferred scheme.

5 years as a DC at a P5. One year in a conference.

Clearly one season was elite, final 4 type season.

It will be interesting to watch him at Purdue. I remember watching him as a player in the Big Ten.

 

[purdueplayer]

There are only like 5-7 teams that have an elite defense in college football and that just won’t work here because we are Purdue and not Alabama or LSU. It’s too hard to be a great defense in college football. I dont think this is a bad hire at all.

 

[Summy1]

As mentioned we have to trust brohm with this hire. This isn't a flashy hire but hopefully a good one. Purdue is going to be built to score points so defense just needs to limit teams

 

[ghostoffatjack]

He won the Broyles award at Notre Dame; literally named the best assistant coach in the country. Obviously not head coach material based on UConn, but many of your top DCs are failed head coaches, so who cares? Top programs are hiring failed head coaches all the time and pay big money for them.

Obviously the one year at Nebraska wasn't good, but it's hard to judge off one year in a lousy situation, the end of a failed head coach's tenure. His track record as an assistant is excellent other than that year in Nebraska.

The only thing I don't like about this is the possible move to a 3-4...when we are going to have a lot more depth at the 3 (the DL) than the 4 (the LB). But one key thing is, the new JuCo linebacker was a commit to Louisiana Tech, who Diaco is now leaving. And really, there isn't a great deal of difference between 3-4 and 4-3 these days. It all depends on which flavor you run. Could actually work out in our favor, because many "3-4" schemes will put the kind of players we were calling "LEOs" on one or both outside edges and move your traditional 4-3 linebackers to the inside spots...meaning where you needed 3 regular linebackers before, you now really only need 2.

‘Actually there is a world of difference for ones DE’s in the two schemes. If your personnel can adapt, meaning DE’s put inside on the 3-4 get doubled teamed a lot and need to become more of a DT and face two blockers on runs way more often and one may have to become a standup OLB which requires way more pass coverage both on man covering the flats and dropping into a zone and must have coverage speed!

Usually means one DE bulks up and one needs to trim down and have good back-peddling speed! Not easy even for the pro’s that face that transition! Next problem is your nose position has to have two NT’s as they get beat up repeatedly while both have to be able to stuff the run, one also needs penetration ability…

 

[C'ville Boiler]

I like the hire. He did good at Notre Dame and I’m sure he can recruit.